Testing device



2 sheets-sheet 2 July 9, 1946. A. w.HATF|ELD TESTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 26, 1944 vPatented Julye, 1946 TESTING DEVICE.-

kAnim wnatneld, chicago, 111., assigner to.

Crane Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation,of.` I1li nois application Augustzs, 1944seria1fNo. v551,387

3 Claims. (Cl. 13S-901) invention. relates generally to testing devices.. More. particularly, it ,pertains to a novel testing clamp, foruse in tstingheaders, Ls Ts, crosses,. and other side Youtlet fittings usually provided with welding endsor -with. similar plain end connections and angularly arranged outlets, in

. which no flange, vbead or threaded end is employed for the attachment of. a test closure or the like. but. in which a. simple plain end generally suitable. for welding is used to make the connection with the pipe or.V tubing.

To. gain a true appreciation`v of the backgreundlof this inventive contribution, it should be understood at the outset that it hasvv lon-g been afprblem to be able to obtain a. pressure tight joint quickly., safely and conveniently without considerableexpense. when testing these typesv of Y fittingsa by theapplication of internal uidpressure's..1 In, the latter. connection for example it hasL heretoforebeenthe accepted practice to weld a cup or a plug on such end of the fitting of Fig.. 2.

or header to make it suitable for retaining4 thel test pressure.. After the test, has been completed it has previously beennecessaryV either to saw or otherwise. remove a. welded cap,4 or closure, then re-.formfand ref-new the welded end connection from which4 the cap has beenv removedlto` constitutethe completed fitting ready for shipment bythe manufacturer. ThisY practice has neces'- sarily been. relatively expensive and has ledto objectionable delays inthe course of lmanufacture of. the header or the. fitting. The fitting or header during such handling has also been damaged frequently, thus requiring further special attention. e

With the foregoing in mindr it Will be. come moreclearly apparent that. a means has been devised whereby such pressure retaining connection as above referred to may now be made with,- out. the` requirementV of. any special skill'or. handling on the part of the. operator and without in any way marring or interfering with the. original welded end connection on the fitting as completed. by the manufacturer.

The novel welding clamp constitutingthis. i'nvention may be not only easily applied and removed but it may alsov be made, veryl cheaply to include a wide variety of shapes and sizes to Y suit the. many types. of` headers and pipe fittings.

t. the same time the device isy sufficiently sturdy so,A that .by. actual test it has been found to be able toresist. successfully internal pressure loads of a. relatively high orderas,'forexample as much as. 1250 lbs..i`nternal'` pressure Without signsof failure., 'Y

' Anotheradvantage in this constructiony lies in the fact. that a cheap. and easily accessible sheet gasketmay be employed'fan'd conveniently renewed when necessary, While `the novel clamp itself may be made yeconomically from sheets or 2 strips of metal'suitably welded to formthe. nal assembly of the clamping device.

Other important objects and advantages will` become more readily apparent upon proceeding withrthe specification read in light of the ac.- companying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan assemblyl view of a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the exterior of the device referred to in Fig. 1.

. Fig. 3 is ar sectional View taken on the line.

3.--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a, sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.. y

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-51.

Fig. Gis a plan view. of a modified. form of the invention.

Fig.. '7 is a side view of the modified form described in. connection with Fig... 6.v

Fig.`8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8v ofy Fig.` 7. Y

' Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a. novel form 'of saddle employed' in the modified form. referred to in Fig. 6.

Fig.Y 10 is. la, sectional View taken' on the" line. Ill- I0 of Fig. 7.

Referring now to Fig. 1 in which merely for purpose of illustration for the application of my invention ay fragmentary portion of a Welded header I is shown having the weld' 2 to which the side outlet i having the curved extension or elbow portion 4 for such welded connection as may be necessary to suit the purposes of the final installation. The end of the curved portion 4i is provided with the bevel surface 5 for. effecting the final weld. As will hereinafter become apparent, the type of weld employed is not an essential element insofar as the application of this invention is concerned.

It shouldbe understood. that the shape of the header or similar fitting is frequently quite ir'- regular and' therefore requires special consideration after completion of its. manufacture when it becomes necessary to test the. same as apressure containing vessel. .Thus as will hereinafter become more readily apparent it is because of its great iiexibility and relative convenience of to'conveniently accommodiate the endVv portion 5r of the elbow 4`. Interposed between the ends of manufacture that the clamp ofv rnyinventionl lends itself to being. applied quickly and easily to the' fitting, notwithstanding the irregularity the fitting asV at 5 and the plate 1 a suitable gasket 8 is used, thus serving asa sealing'means between the plate I and the connection of the fitting. It has been found preferable although not absolutely necessary that the plate portion 6 be stiffened by means of a longitudinally extending rib 9 Which may be integral or welded thereto. Approximately midway of the length of the plate 6 a yoke II is attached preferably by Welding or by any other suitable means to the plate 6. The yok e II is as shown more clearly in Fig. 1 of generally U coniiguration. At its closed or rounded end portion I2 a threaded set screw I3 is positioned for reasons hereinafter explained.

For the purpose of adding greater strength and security to the installation of my Welding clamp it is preferable to provide for the plate 6 to be pivotally mounted with relation to the fitting 3. This is accomplished by having the lower end portion of the plate 6 provided ras indicated at I5 with an apertured rib through which the bolt I6 extends for making a suitable connection with the split collar I'I encircling the neck portion of the fitting 3. split collar is similarly held to the fitting 3 by means of the through bolt I8. Thus it becomes Vapparent that by the construction just described the bolt I6 serves as the pivotal point about which the plate B moves during the course of applying compression to the gasket 8 and also when the latter is released upon disassembly. Both the compressing of the gasket 8 as Well as its release from such compression is accomplished by means of the set screw I3 being suitably rotated in the end portion I4 thereof bearing against the outside diameter of the straight portion of the `fitting 3.

It is apparent that a simple and very effective means for applying a gasket to an `irregular shaped fitting has been devised. The parts used in making this clamp do not require expensive accuracy in either the assembly or .in vmachining the individual parts to be assembled, and yet by the nature of the construction employed substantial strength and rigidity has been obtained, it being able to resist the relatively high testing load applied to the fitting. The stiffening rib 9 while shown as an integral portion of the plate 6 may of course be suitably Welded to the plate. Similarly, the manner of attachment of the U shaped yoke II as indicated byl the weld I0 may be varied, depending Yupon the size and the shape of the fitting under consideration for test.

As indicated in the modified form illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive, the face of the testing clamp above described .may vary substantially without vdeparting from the principles involved in obtaining a satisfactory structure.

Thus in a modified form about to be described the split collar I1 may be replaced by a saddle,

member preferably positioned at the crotch of the fitting to produce the same strength and rigidity of installation as described in connection` gasket 8 as previously described -in connection.

with Fig. 2. However, in this embodiment the yoke member I9 of generally U shaped figuration is provided with the side legs lorposts as 'Ihe opposite end of the 4 more clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 10. The end portion of the posts 20 are weldedor otherwise connected to the flat plate 2l. The' latter plate member may be made as 'similarly described in connection with the plate 6 of such size and shape as to best suit the fitting with which the 'clamp is to be associated in testing. However,

, the detailed manner in which the U shaped yoke ber, a. yoke attached to the said'plate member,

is applied to the tting varies in this modificaengaged to bear against the crotch portion'l ofA v the elbow or other fittings under test, thus fix.- edly locating the anvil portion `23 relative to the fitting being tested.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a novel clamp has been provided vfor effecting the quick and convenient attachment of a closure to a tting under test and is accomplished without the necessity for the special shaping of the ends of the iitting to be tested nor making'any permanent connections such as the prior use of welds.

It will be further apparent that the'particular shape of the structure and they detailedrelation of the parts may vary quite substantially throughout a Wide range Without departing froml the principles hereinabove described. Itis proposed therefore tliat the claims b e notjliinited other than as necessitated ybyther Vstate of the prior art. s I

1. In a testing` device ,of the character de# scribed, a saddle member having means for attachment to a fitting to be tested, `a. yoke mem ber, the said saddle member having positioning means cooperating with said yoke member, the latter member having an end plate for positioning of a gasket between an annular vend portion of the fitting to be tested and the said plate, the said saddle member andend plate being adjustably movable upon the fitting to be tested transversely relative to the annular endportion of the said fitting.

2. In a testing device for a pressure vessel of the character described, the combinationincluding a plate member, the latter member having a ribbed longitudinally extending'portion, a yoke member attached to the said plate member and extending transversely thereto, the said yoke providing for adjustable positioning of the said plate member transversely relative to an end portion of the pressurevessel, the plate` member having at an opposite'end portion Apivotal means for independent connection Withthe article to be tested.

3. In a testing clamp for a .plainend angle litting, the combinationincluding a plate memthe said yoke providing for adjustable positioning vof thesaid plate member, the, plgte member having at an end portion thereofnieans for pivf. otal .connection with the fitting' to be tested, the,

. said latter means including a'split collar pivotal-.-

ly attached to an end portion of thesaid' Vplate member.Y ARTHUR W.' 

